3 quarterbacks who will do the most damage with their legs this NFL season

Are mobile quarterbacks the future? If so, these three NFL quarterbacks are leading the charge in the league’s latest trend. 

Are mobile quarterbacks the future?

It’s a simple question with a complex answer.

In the past, it seemed as if every dual-threat quarterback had the same story: a promising start, a disappointing turning point, and a quiet exit from relevancy as injuries and lackluster results caused teams to part ways. For the quarterback, leaving the pocket usually resulted in disaster.

Now, as the league’s rule changes have begun to protect quarterbacks and favor offenses, running quarterbacks have been creating nightmares for defenses with read-option plays and pistol formations.

NFL coaches are catering their game plans to feature nimble quarterbacks that can create plays outside of the play design. It worked for Jalen Hurts in 2022, who nearly led the Eagles to a championship as he became the first quarterback to rush for two touchdowns and pass for one touchdown in the Super Bowl. But in 2020, a quarterback who was almost as famous for his pocket presence as he was for his 40-yard dash time claimed the Lombardi Trophy. Mobility allows offensive flexibility when a play collapses, but a quarterback should always aim to exhaust all options within the structure of the play design. After all, elite quarterbacking still requires a mastery of the playbook and the ability to read defenses.

Steve Young, one of the most successful dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history, believes that scrambling away from pressure can hinder a quarterback’s development as a passer. Mobile quarterbacks aren’t forced to master the intricacies of the position because their feet can often bail them out. Why study film for endless hours when game-breaking plays can be created with physical ability?

The ability to escape the pocket can become a crutch that creates a quarterback who relies on randomness rather than rhythm.

As Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh explained when coaching Young, just running around can maybe make a great play. But the chances of a successful play increase when the offense knows where it’s supposed to be at any given moment.

The sustained dominance of quintessential pocket passers such as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady has proven that the job of a perennial championship quarterback is to “orchestrate and to be a master of the data — from formation, to blitzes, to coverages,” Young has said in the past.

Still, the desire for a dual-threat quarterback won’t subside anytime soon, and the NFL does provide some powerful examples to motivate the next generation of quarterbacks. Here are three mobile quarterbacks in the NFL who are ensuring this is anything but a passing trend.

3 quarterbacks who will do the most damage with their legs this NFL season:

Honorable Mention: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

With a wealth of new pass catchers and a massive five-year, $260 million contract, Jackson is under a lot of pressure to produce this season.

Jackson has done considerable damage with his legs in the past, winning a unanimous NFL MVP title in 2019 after rushing for 1206 yards, which remains the most single-season rushing yards for a quarterback in NFL history. Jackson has a total of 4437 rushing yards over his five-year NFL career, but he didn’t play the full season in 2021 or 2022.

Despite rushing for 2,536 yards since 2020 — the most by a quarterback in that timespan — Jackson has missed 11 regular season games in the past three seasons due to injury.

If Jackson can stay healthy on his new contract, he could find himself back on top of this list.

3. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears

The only person to come close to Jackson’s historic 2019 rushing record is Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who broke several NFL rushing records with 1143 yards in 2022. Last season, Fields broke the single-game quarterback rushing record, recorded the most rushing yards in a five-game span, logged the most consecutive games with a touchdown, and became the first NFL quarterback with 1,000 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. Additionally, Fields ranks No. 2 in terms of single-season rushing yards for a quarterback, which positions him to follow in Jackson’s footsteps.

While Jackson won a unanimous NFL MVP award for a similarly groundbreaking season, the dismal reality was that Fields accomplished all this during a 3-14 season. To the chagrin of Chicago fans, Fields was tasked with carrying the entire team on his back, causing him to rely heavily on his legs. Also, the young quarterback still has significant work to do on his passing ability and accuracy, and as mentioned above, a dual-threat quarterback who primarily runs becomes one-dimensional over time. Fields isn’t passing enough, and he’s not completing enough of the passes he does make.

Fields is poised to have another impressive rushing season, perhaps one where he will best Jackson’s record. Hopefully, his teammates and his own development as a passer will allow the Bears to flourish with the run rather than scramble out of bad situations.